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B R EDWARDS BED SUPPORT FOR RAILWAY TRACKS. No. 464,173.

Patented Dec. 1,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD R. EDIVARDS, OF MINERAL RIDGE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS A. MITCHELL, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BED-SUPPORT FOR RAILWAY-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,173, dated December 1, 1891.

Application filed .l'une 6, 1890. $erial No. 354,527. INo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, EDWARD R. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mineral Ridge, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed- Supports for Railway-Tracks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to bed-supports for railwaytracks, and has for its object to provide a broad continuous bearing and support for the rail, and thereby lessen the liability of is a transverse section through the rail andintermediate support, showing a part of the tie and the holding-plates in elevation. Fig. at is a perspective view of the support for the rail between the ties.

In carrying out my invention I propose to use iron or steel ties instead of the wooden ties now generally used.

A designates the ties, which are laid upon the prepared roadway as usual, except that I propose to lay them somewhat. farther apart than ties are commonly laid.

The rails B are laid upon the ties as usual, and are secured by holding-plates O, bolted upon the ties on both sides of the rails, with their ends projecting upon the base-flanges I). These holding-plates are recessed on their under sides at the holding end to form lips c, of a length to project against the web of the rail, the under sides of'said lips a being so shaped as to lie flat upon the base-flange of upon the tie. The bolt-holesthrough the plates 0 are elongated to permit an adjustment of the plate toward and from the rail for slightly moving the track Without changing the position of the ties.

D designates a bed-support for the rail between the ties. These supports I propose to make of terra-cotta or similar material in suitable and convenient sections or lengths for the spaces between the ties and of sufficientbreadth and thickness to give them the necessary strength. In their upper faces are formed central longitudinal grooves or channels d, of a width and'depth corresponding with the width and thickness of the baseflange of the rail. The road-bed being prop- 'erly prepared, the bed-supports D are laid between the tiesA with the bottom of the 7c channel d in the same plane of the upper surfaces of the ties A,'so that when the rails are laid they shall set in the channel and be firmly held by the supports. The bed-supports D are made in such lengths as to adapt them to the spaces between the ties, and there are preferably two of these supports to each space.

It is found that for durability and in serving as a substantial support to the rail the supports should be made about eighteen inches long, fourteen inches wide, and four inches thick. I propose ordinarily to lay the ties three feet apart, and therefore by making the supports D one and a half feet long two bedsnpports will fill the space between the adjacent ties. When, however, the ties are to be laid different distances apart, the length of the supports is correspondingly changed.

While I prefer to make the supports of such length that two of them will fill the space be- 0 tween adjacent ties, they may be made shorter, if preferred, or of such length that a single one will fill an entire space, these being variations which fall within the scope of my in vention.

By forming the grooves d in the bed-support D and setting the rails therein the supports will be held in place and prevented from working out from under the rails in case they settle and become loose, whether the ICC;

supports between the ties are made in one or several pieces. The spaces between the ties the rail, while the body of the plate lies flat are to be entirely filled, so as to provide a continuous support for the rails, and thereby to avoid the liability of the rails bending down or breaking between the ties.

It will thus be seen by this construction of a broad-bearing continuous bed-piece under the rail, resting on the earth or other bed foundation, the rail is supported continuously and is not weakened at any particular point by the moving of the earth or stone beneath the track, and thereby subjecting it to breakage when filled with frost or from other cause.

I am aware that bed-supports of various forms and constructions and usually made of metal have heretofore been proposed; but I have no knowledge of a support made, as herein specified, in lengths to fit the spaces between the ties and to form continuous supports for the rails between the same.

The materials herein specified are available and obtainable in all sections of the country, and by making the supports of such material they may be manufactured at or near the places where they are to be used, whereby the expense of transporting the heavier iron supports heretofore proposed is avoided, the material for such iron supports being in most cases obtainable only at remote places.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with the rails and ties ous supports with the ends of the ties for the rails, as setforth.

3. In a railway-track, the combination, with the rails andcross-ties', of the holding-plates C, recessedon their under sides to form lips c and bolted upon the ties, with the said lips projecting upon the base-flanges of the rail to hold the latter, the bolt-holes in said plates being elongated to permit adjustment toward and from the rails, and the longitudinally grooved or channeled terra-cotta bed-supports D, made in lengths to fit the spaces be-.

tween the ties and forming continuous railsupports bet-ween the same, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD R. EDWARDS.

1 Witnesses:

CHAS. R. TRUEsDALE, JOHN BROWN. 

